The Prophet David, from Prophets and Sibyls 1480 - 1490

Francesco Rosselli made this engraving of the Prophet David in the late 15th century, using the intaglio process. This involved incising lines into a metal plate, inking the surface, and then wiping it clean so that the ink remained only in the carved lines. Then, with the application of immense pressure to a sheet of paper, the image is transferred. The linear quality visible in the print arises directly from this technique. Look closely, and you can see how Rosselli modulated the lines to create a sense of volume, and shadow. Engraving was a highly skilled craft, requiring years of training to master the use of burins, scrapers, and burnishers. However, the rise of printmaking at this time also reflected a new spirit of enterprise, of workshop production, and an expanding market for images. What had previously been the domain of manuscript illumination was being adapted to a more efficient, reproducible format. We can see in this print the intersection of craft tradition, artistic innovation, and new economic realities. These factors are all crucial to understanding its enduring appeal.